Looking for new ways to boost social media engagements and gain a competitive edge over your competition in an ever-changing marketing landscape? As social media managers, we’re always scouting for fresh sources of inspiration to help us cut through the noise. But it becomes a little more challenging to keep pulling great ideas out of our hats now and again. What can you do when you’re dealing with a social media creativity block? We’ve asked the Anchor social media team how they deal with creative blocks and what they do to reignite their creative spark. Here’s what we’ve learned!
Overcome Your Social Media Creativity Block With These Simple Tips
It’s quite easy to get stuck in a creative rut. Don’t get us wrong; social media management is a really fun job - most of the time. But when you find yourself pondering the same questions day in, day out, it can quickly become frustrating. In those moments, it’s easy to doubt yourself and your work. But guess what? It doesn’t have to be that way! Creativity can, in fact, be learned. And as with most things, it takes practice. For starters, you need to know where to find inspiration.
- Know where to find inspiration
If you work in the digital marketing industry, it pays off keeping tabs on brands that are doing exceptionally well online - whether they’re in your niche or not. Most trends are transferable and learning from the successes of others can give you a whole new perspective on your own social media activities. If you’re ever out of ideas, take a few minutes to browse the profiles of brands or social media personalities that inspire you.
Follow industry-leading brands. There are obviously many factors that contribute to a brand’s success on social media, but a lot of businesses that do well on socials have talented marketing teams that appear to have their fingers on the pulse of users. These world-class innovators seemingly create nothing but knock-out content. If it works for them, why not test it out yourself? If you don’t know where to start, here are a few brands that are crushing the social media game:
Listen to social media marketing podcasts.Got a couple of minutes to spare on your commute to work? Why not tune in to one of the many social media podcasts that promise to make you a better digital marketer? Here are a few of our teams’ favourites:
Surround yourself with people that inspire you. Inspiration is quite literally all around you. If you’re reading this at your office, you’ve probably got access to many creative people who are full of great ideas. Why not have a chat with them if you’re stuck on something. Whether you’re discussing work matters or your weekend plans, you might return to your to do’s with more clarity and a bunch of cool ideas. If you work from home, go grab a coffee and chat with your barista. Bouncing ideas of another creative mind can give you a whole new perspective.
Related: Frustrated by Facebook Pixel issues? Here’s a complete guide to set you up for success.
- Change your immediate environment
Sometimes all it takes is a change of scenery. How are you supposed to create innovative social media posts if you’re staring at the same grey wall day in and out? A lot of the time, creativity sparks when you leave your comfort zone - aka your desk. Remember the saying “if you change nothing, nothing changes”? So why not try a different setting?
Maybe there’s standing desks or couches at your office? Perhaps you could take your laptop to a local coffee shop and get those posts scheduled over an oat latte? If you can’t physically move somewhere else, start by sprucing up your desk. Make it a little more interesting by adding plants, photos and perhaps changing your computer background.
- Don’t forget to take a break
Regular breaks are known to result in less stress and more success - not just because it sounds fun. We all know that spending long hours hovering over your computer and stressing over deadlines not only leads to stress wrinkles but can be a severe drag for your creativity. So remember to step away from your desk every hour or so, even if it’s just to grab a glass of water and stretch your legs. Looking at the bigger picture, you may be due for a holiday. You might not feel like you’ve earned a break, but taking a step back from the monotony of work will not only prevent a burn-out but can get your creative juices flowing again. Whether it’s a long weekend or a trip overseas, you have to take care of yourself first to do a great job.
- Simply start creating
This may sound silly, but sometimes you just have to make the first step. When you feel like you’ve got nothing to say, start writing the first sentence. Allow yourself to create without pressure, whether that’s actual content or simply ideas and thoughts. Your first few ideas and drafts might never be published, but you’ve now got something to work off. Start broad and see what inspires you rather than setting off with a narrow pathway or a specific goal already in mind. You should have an overarching goal but allow for a bit of wiggle room as you figure out how to get there.
- Be curious and stay open-minded
Be easy on yourself when you’re struggling to come up with creative posts for social media, and don’t limit yourself to what you’ve always known and done. It’s in the very nature of social media to constantly evolve, and sometimes, what works one day might be absolutely obsolete the next. Often, the greatest ideas come from new experiences and stepping outside your comfort zone. So get out of your box, or should we say cubicle, and start exploring new areas and ideas.
Allow Your Creativity To Thrive
We often forget about it, but our own work can also be a huge source of inspiration.
And compared to other brands’ content, it gives you one significant advantage: Direct access to your account insights to track your performance. This means you can tell what posts your audience responds to and then create more similar content. Seeing your ideas come to life and achieving real results can be rewarding and motivate you to make more awesome content.
On a Personal Note
You can’t expect yourself to be a fountain of great ideas if you don’t invest in your own health and wellbeing. Before you do anything else, make sure you’re getting enough sleep, eating good food, moving your body and taking care of your mental health. Mindfulness practices could be part of your new routine, inviting greater clarity of mind and providing a cognitive stimulus.
This is guaranteed to fuel your creativity and overall happiness.
Lastly, don’t give up. Creativity ebbs and flows, and with a bit of practice, you can learn to make the most of every moment, even if inspiration doesn’t strike right away.
Need help with your socials? Whether you’re looking for advertising expertise or need to pick a social media marketing specialist’s brain, Anchor Digital has you covered! Contact our friendly team to start your journey today.
